To perform a front plank, get in the plank position by lying on your stomach with your feet together. Push up on your elbows, with your elbows directly beneath your shoulders. Your hips should be raised to the same height as your shoulders, and your core muscles (including your glutes) should be braced as if someone was going to kick you in the stomach.

To perform a side plank, lie down on your side with your feet on top of each other. Now push yourself up on your “down” forearm so that your upper arm is perpendicular to the ground. Once again, you’ll want to brace your core muscles as if someone was going to kick you in the stomach. Attempt to stay straight as a board from your ankles through your shoulders. Don’t let your hips fall back or rotate.

To perform a glute bridge, lie on the ground with your knees bent to 90 degrees, your heels on the ground, and your toes pulled up toward your shins. Place your hands on your midsection. Contract your core muscles to brace your midsection, then contract your gluteal muscles to pull your hips up. Hold this position for the desired time. Avoid pushing up through your heels. Only go up as high as your glutes will take you; avoid arching your lower back.

With all of these exercises, start with 3 sets of 10 rep holds (on each side for the side planks) and progress to 30 rep holds.

Standing belly press

The standing belly press takes the core stability principles of planks and reinforces them in a rotational pattern, which is somewhat more golf-specific.

To perform this golf workout exercise, stand with your feet about shoulder width apart with a slight knee bend and in a manner that puts your right elbow even with a cable column, about one foot away from the column. Interlock your fingers around the cable handle and pull it into the center of your chest. Slowly extend your arms all the way out so that your hands are at shoulder level. You should feel the cable trying to pull you into rotation. Use your core to maintain a neutral position and prevent this rotation.

Start with 3 sets of 10 rep holds on each side and progress to 30 rep holds. You can also add weight, but do this cautiously as it’s important that there is no shifting or rotation of the hips or shoulders.

Side standing med ball scoop

This medicine ball exercise takes the rotational range of motion and core stability you’ve built in previous exercises and uses it to develop rotational power. The goal is to initiate the rotation through the hips and just use your arms to follow through.

Stand about eight feet away from a cinder block wall with your toes perpendicular to the wall about shoulder width apart. Hold a medicine ball with your back hand on the front of the ball and your front hand on the back of the ball. Move the ball toward your back hip then forcefully rotate your hips forward and swing the ball at the wall as hard as you can. It’s OK if your back foot rotates here.

Perform 3 sets of 6 reps on each side.

golf workout

These exercises are not meant to overload a golf swing. In fact, that would likely ruin your swing technique. The goal of these exercises is to establish an athletic foundation that will allow you to express your golf swing with maximal power and without physical limitation. Perform these exercises on a regular basis to ensure you maintain adequate hip and thoracic ROM and core stability.